


Chances

by CoRhinkyDink



Series: Chances [1]
Category: Good Mythical Morning, rhink - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Girlfriends/No Wives, Amnesia, Denial, Established Relationship, Fluff, Head Injury, Humor, Light Angst, M/M, Medical Inaccuracies, Mentions of homophobia, Romance, could also be that Link just woke up in some weird alternate universe, engaged rhink, it's a toss up, possible slight internalized homophobia, possibly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-17
Updated: 2019-03-27
Packaged: 2019-10-11 20:42:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17453957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoRhinkyDink/pseuds/CoRhinkyDink
Summary: “Link, what year is it?” He asks again. Link finally snaps.“2016! Why do you keep asking me that?!” He shouts, now sufficiently pissed off. On top of that, Rhett is just looking at him. He’s looking at him like he does when Link isn’t getting something obvious, like a joke or an answer to a question. It makes Link feel even worse.“Because, Link…” Rhett trails off, and for some reason he looks like he’s about to cry, “We’re engaged.”





	1. Good Morning Sunshine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link wakes up to a strange surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there! Once again I'd like to preface this story by saying that I'm not a writer, but that I had a story I'd like to share.  
> Please excuse any spelling or grammatical errors you see!

Link awakes feeling warm and comfortable. He’s not sure if it’s just because he doesn’t want to get up, but his sheets and blankets feel extra soft around him. It’s like he’s lying inside a warm cocoon, and all he can think about is wanting to snuggle further inside and go back to sleep. 

A small grunt stops him from doing so.

Even in his tired state, Link knows that it wasn’t him. It was much too deep, and he could feel the vibration of the noise against his arm.  
He opens his eyes quickly, and finds himself staring into what looks to be a head of dirty blonde hair. A dog....? But why would a dog be in his bed? Did he get a dog? He blinks rapidly and pushes himself back a bit to get a better look.  
He makes out a non-canine face with dark brows, long lashes, and...a beard?

It takes his tired mind a moment to alert him to the fact that he’s not only lying in bed with someone, but that the particular ‘someone’ he’s in bed with is Rhett. Oh. Of course.  
Link figures that the only logical thing to do now is scream, and so he does. Very, very loudly. That, mixed with his frantic kicking and pushing, is apparently just what it takes to wake Rhett from his slumber. 

“What….what’s going on…” Rhett calls groggily, pushing himself to sit. "Ow!" Link's kicks him right in the hip bone, pretty hard in fact, but he doesn't care. Rhett deserves pain. 

“What the heck, man!” Link cries. They’re both sitting up now, and he can see that he’s shirtless as well, which only furthers his panic, “What the hell is this?”  
It’s not like he and Rhett have never shared a bed before, but Link specifically remembers being alone in his apartment when he went to sleep last night. 

“What are you talking about?” Rhett asks, as if he can't see why Link would be upset. Link can physically _feel_ his blood pressure rising instantly.

“What do you mean what am I talking about? Why the hell are you in my bed?” He all but shouts. He expects Rhett to get the picture after this, but his brows only knit tighter together. What is he not getting about this?

“...Because this is my bed, too?” He half says-half asks, “This is our room.”

Link can feel himself mimicking Rhett’s expression of confusion now. _Our_ room?

He tears his gaze away from Rhett for just long enough to get a look at his surroundings, and when he does, he’s startled to see that he’s not actually in his bedroom at all.  
In fact, he has absolutely no idea where he is.

The room he’s in is large, and instead of the the beige color he’s used to, the walls are a navy blue color. The bed he’s sitting in seems to be a king, and the blankets match the color of the walls and the color of the lamp on the bedside table as well. On the right side of the room, there is a closet that takes up most of the wall, and on the left is an espresso colored dresser beneath a window.

Link feels like he’s on a different planet all of a sudden, and he knows for a fact that he’s never seen this room before in his life. He’s confused as to how he got there, and if this is supposed to be some sort of weird practical joke. He can't think of anything that could possibly be humorous from this, but Rhett's always been into weird pranks. Link's head hurts.

“Baby, I think you might be half asleep still.” He nearly jumps out of his skin when he feels a warm hand on his shoulder and his head snaps back in Rhett’s direction. 

“ _Baby?!_ ” He squeaks (Yes, an actual squeak. It's not very masculine, he knows, but he doesn't even care) and jerks away.  
Who in the fresh _hell_ is he calling baby? He turns more to face Rhett now, getting a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach, something like nervous butterflies laced with dread. What is Rhett trying to do?

“Link.” Rhett calls, expression bordering on a concern that looks a little too genuine for Link’s liking, “You’re really starting to freak me out.”

Link can’t help the snort that escapes him at this, “Oh, I’m freaking _you_ out?” He shakes his head in disbelief. Whatever Rhett's trying to pull, he's not buying it.

“What year is it?” Rhett then asks out of the blue. Link's brows furrow, almost in offence.

“Why are you asking me that?” He can't help the irritation that slips through at the sudden change in subject. They're in bed together and Rhett is trying to mark his calendar?

“Look, just--just humor me okay? What year is it?” Rhett places a hand on his knee, and while it makes Link uncomfortable, he decides to momentarily ignore it. Though a tiny, tiny part of him kind of wants to break it.

“2016.” He answers slowly. He doesn’t know why Rhett looks so serious all of a sudden, but it’s really giving him the creeps. Since when has Rhett been this good at acting?

“Do you know what month and day it is?” 

“I dunno, January 15th? 16th?” He watches Rhett’s expression, trying to figure out what he’s getting at. What, did he miss the date of some fucked up surprise party or something? 

“And where do you think you are?”

“Dude, I have no clue.” Link says, growing tired of the games. He’s ready for Rhett to get to whatever punchline he’s clearly trying to make. He's ready for something to start making sense, but he has this small sinking feeling that it's never going to.  
Rhett doesn’t look pleased at his answer, and he only frowns. Link wants to smack him and ask why the hell he's frowning. It feels like it lasts far too long, and it makes him itch.

“You don’t recognize it?” Link shakes his head, deepening the frown on Rhett’s face, “This is our bedroom, Link.” He speaks slowly, like he’s talking to someone who doesn’t quite understand English. “We’ve lived together for four years now.” 

“That’s not funny.” It really isn't.

“I’m not trying to be funny.” Rhett deadpans. The lack of expression in his face actually gives Link goosebumps.

“We-We don’t live together, dude.” Link raises a hand to his head, which is really starting to throb, “And even if we did, I sure as hell wouldn’t share a bed with you.” 

Something seems to occur to Rhett just then, and he raises his hand from Link’s knee to his shoulder again.

“Link, look at me.” He says with a sudden insistence in his voice. Link tries to swat him away, but when it doesn't work, he reluctantly looks up to meet his gaze, “Who am I?”

“What?” 

“Link, I’m serious. I need you to tell me you know who I am.” Rhett’s tone is desperate now, and it only confuses Link further. Maybe Rhett’s the one losing his mind? Link can think of plenty of things he could call him, but he decides to give the answer he knows Rhett's looking for.

“You’re Rhett.” He says, feeling a little uncomfortable and now mildly worried for Rhett’s sanity. 

“And what am I to you?” Link blinks at him, and for a moment he's unsure what he's supposed to say to that. _"Link_

“Wha--you’re...You’re my friend--which, by the way, I’m seriously starting to reconsider”  
Rhett's hold on his shoulder is tight, and Link is sure he's wincing, but Rhett doesn't seem to notice.

“Just your friend?” He asks.

“Uh...yeah…” 

“Just your friend and nothing else.” Rhett's gaze is expectant, like he wants something more from him, but Link doesn't know what he's supposed to say and it's really starting to frustrate him. He sighs.

“If I say you’re my best friend, will you shut up?” His head is seriously about to split open at this point and he’s had enough of whatever this is. He just wants to go home and go back to bed, but Rhett seems to have other plans.

“Link, what year is it?” He asks again. Link finally snaps. 

“2016! Why do you keep asking me that?!” He shouts, now sufficiently pissed off. On top of that, Rhett is just looking at him. He’s looking at him like he does when Link isn’t getting something obvious, like a joke or an answer to a question. It makes Link feel even worse. 

“Because, Link…” Rhett trails off, and for some reason he looks like he’s about to cry, “We’re engaged.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I suppose this is the end of the first chapter! I'm not sure if I should continue or not, but if people like it then I definitely will. If I do continue, I'll probably make future chapters longer as well.  
> If you did enjoy this, or if you've got some feedback for me, feel free to comment and leave me a kudo!
> 
> Have a great day!


	2. Proof is in the Pudding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Link is trying to get dressed, but Rhett is persistent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I did decide to continue after all! Thank you for all the kudos and comments telling me that you wanted to see more.  
> Once again, I hope you'll forgive any spelling or grammatical errors, as this is un-beta'd.  
> Also, please ignore any medical inaccuracies you see here, because this chapter is ripe with them.

As soon as the words leave Rhett’s lips, Link feels his stomach drop. _Engaged._  
He follows Rhett’s gaze to his hand, and when he looks down he sees a thin silver band on his ring finger.

“We got engaged during the summer.” Rhett says, “We’ve been dating for almost five years now.”

“Oh no. _No, no, no,_ we are _not_ doing this.” Link pulls off the ring with a little effort and tosses it to Rhett, “Whatever this is, it isn’t cool.”  
He scrambles to push the blankets off of him and climbs out of bed, “Jokes over. I’m going home.”  
The bed is actually pretty high up off the ground, but Link manages not to trip and make a complete idiot out of himself. Though he's sure that he couldn't make himself feel more idiotic if he tried. Rhett's already accomplished that.

“Link--” Link stops in his tracks and throws Rhett a glare that says ‘if you say another word, I’m going to smack you’ before promptly turning to find his clothes.  
He wonders how he didn't somehow wake up in the middle of Rhett taking his shirt off, or how he didn't even notice someone taking him out of his house and to a completely different one, but he figures that it's his heavy-sleeper trait coming back to bite him in the ass. He makes a note to stop drinking wine coolers before bed.

There’s nothing on the floor besides a spare sock or two, and he can't tell whether they're his or not, so he decides instead to go to the hamper in the corner instead. He's pretty sure he sees his green _Star Wars_ tee peeking out at him, so he goes for that first. 

Rhett either has a death wish or didn't understand Link's non-verbal warning, because soon he’s climbing out of bed as well and taking long strides to reach Link.  
Link can already feel the irritation welling up inside him, but he knows he'd rather not get into a physical altercation while he's still half naked, so he decides instead to ignore him.

“Link, hold on a sec, okay? Why would I joke about this?” He asks, “What would I gain from it?”

“Who knows what goes on inside your brain, Rhett? I sure as hell don’t. Just leave me alone.” Link responds, grabbing his shirt and hastily pulling it over his head. He's never sure what Rhett gains from the pranks he pulls, but he figures that it's some weird alpha-male-sadist thing and he's totally not going to help Rhett get his rocks off at his expense any more than he already has. 

“Would you--Link, will you stop for just a second and just listen to me?” Rhett grabs ahold of Link’s forearm, and Link's seriously contemplating just going straight for his balls. He's sure his face says this clearly, but Rhett doesn't back down.  
“Yesterday you hit your head. Do you remember that?” 

 

“Wh...Huh?” Link stops himself in the middle of a rebuttal when he realizes that Rhett's said something he hadn't expected. Rhett sees his falter as a chance to finally get his foot in the door and he swallows, stepping closer. 

“When we were walking out of the studio you tripped and smacked your head off the concrete.” He goes on to explain. Link stares at him blankly, wondering what on Earth he's talking about when suddenly, it hits him like a brick wall.  
“Oh…” Like a movie trailer flashing behind his eyes, the memory of the fall returns to him. The pain of his forehead slamming against the hard asphalt.

He hadn’t even seen the bottle of _Mike’s Hard_ lying outside the studio doors, but his foot found it all the same, sending him toppling over in a heap onto the ground, bag and all.  
He reaches up to touch his temple, where he remembers meeting the ground, and he winces at the sharp pain that shoots all the way through his skull. The headache he’d almost forgotten about comes back in full force, and suddenly it makes sense.

“We should get you to the ER.” Rhett says. Link jerks away from him, like he’s been burned, and he shakes his head. 

“No,” Is all he says. He doesn't know why he says it, but it's what slips out of him.  
It's not a completely crazy idea to get checked out after a head injury; He probably should have done that when the fall happened, but now things are different. Head injury or not, Link knows that he's not mistaken about whether or not he's currently engaged. He absolutely isn't.

“Look, I know it’s all probably super confusing, but I think you have a concussion--”

“No, I mean--Yeah, I know I hit my head and all, but I’m not confused.” He responds. 

“Link, you didn't remember that we’re together.” 

“That's because we're not! A dent to the noggin' isn't going to make me believe that.”  
It's not like he thinks Rhett is trying to take advantage of his injury to pull one over on him, it's just that--well, he honestly doesn't know what it is. 

Rhett looks a bit hurt by Link’s tone, and Link feels a little bad, but that doesn't change the fact that what he's saying is true. Rhett seems to realize fairly quickly that he's not going to give in, because he gives an exasperated sigh and steps back from him. Link thinks that this is the end of it. Rhett is going to give up the gun and they can both have a good laugh about it, because honestly, Link would rather laugh than cry. 

“If I show you proof, will you let me take you to the ER?”  
Link is taken aback by this. _Proof?_  
What ‘proof’ could Rhett possibly have?

“Uh...I...I guess.” Link finds himself agreeing, because he really isn’t sure what else to say at this point. He’s confused as he watches Rhett turn and walk back over to the bed. What is he going to do, pull out some sex tape that he's doctored together?  
Rhett fishes under the blankets for a moment before producing his cell phone. And Link, despite the situation, wonders why Rhett keeps his phone in bed with him instead of on the nightstand like a normal human being. He tries to push these thoughts aside for now, because _there are far more important things to be focusing on._ Rhett pulls his phone from the charger and walks back over while simultaneously swiping through it in search of something. Link really doesn't know what Rhett is looking for--he knows there can't be anything because he hasn't _done_ anything, but he still feels nervous for some reason.  
After a moment, Rhett seems to find what he's looking for, and he extends the phone towards Link, who just looks at him.

“What’s this…?” He asks, too afraid to look down. Rhett nudges the phone forward a little, as if to say ‘see for yourself’, and Link realizes that he doesn't really have a choice but to take the phone at this point. Taking a deep breath, he looks down at the screen and he sees that Rhett has Instagram pulled up. It's his personal Instagram from the looks of it, and it seems to be photo of two people.

He can tell that the people are supposed to be him and Rhett, and he can see that they're holding each other in a tight embrace. He doesn't quite remember the place they're supposedly in, some restaurant with a fountain in the background, or ever holding Rhett this closely, but there they are with his arms around Rhett's shoulders and Rhett's hands planted firmly on his waist. What he can't really figure out, though, is what their faces are doing. He's seen two people do this before, but for some reason his mind can't quite sort out what it is or why he and Rhett are doing it. It feels strange, like he's an alien trying to decipher the human language, and it takes about 30 seconds for his mind to finally tell him that he's looking at a kiss. He and Rhett are kissing.  
His heart practically jumps right out of his chest then, and he'd drop Rhett's phone if he didn't already have it in a death grip.

“See?” Rhett says, “That was the day I proposed.”  
_Proposed_. Even the word sounds foreign to him.  
He just stands there in shock, reading and rereading the caption below the picture like his brain is stuck on a loop.

_“We’ve already spent most of our lives together, so we might as well get married and spend the rest of it together, too.”_

A statement he might originally find cute and witty, only serves to make him feel nauseous when he realizes that it's being used to refer to he and Rhett. To their supposed 'relationship'.  
He'd normally try to search the image for some sort clue indicating that it'd been doctored in some way, but he can't make himself look at it again. Instead he looks to when the photo seems to have been posted. True to Rhett's words, it seemed to be uploaded about 5 or 6 months ago. The likes on the post are upwards of thirty-thousand, and when Link looks down through the comments, he's horrified to see that there's no one questioning this. There's no mentions of how absurd and sudden this all is--only people congratulating them and calling them _'sweet'_ and _'perfect for each other <3'_

“Can we go to the ER now?” Rhett's voice draws him out of his trance, and when he looks up, he finds Rhett giving him a pitiful stare. All he can really manage to do is nod.

 

~~~

With it being a possible head injury, the ER gets him in pretty quickly. The doctor there asks him several questions, none of which he really wants to answer, but he does. He knows how to count to ten and he hasn’t forgotten what color apples are, so he gets irritated pretty quickly with the seemingly useless questioning. He knows the doctor is just doing his job, but as far as he's concerned, he's not doing anyone any good. He's clearly just fallen into an alternate universe somehow, and there's no way to diagnose _that_.

Rhett, to his own credit, seems to notice his waning patience and does him the favor of explaining what he can to the doctor. Link doesn’t even bother arguing that Rhett’s version is incorrect, he simply says that he doesn’t remember things the way Rhett does and the doctor finds that this is enough reason to give him a CT scan.  
Link can’t stop thinking about that picture. His hair was still long, and he wore the same purple cardigan that he remembers wearing just the other day. It was clearly supposed to be him, and yet it felt like he was looking at a complete stranger. Like someone had cloned him and sent him out with the intent to lock lips with Rhett just for the camera. 

 

The wait for the results is agonizing, with Rhett and Link sitting in uncomfortable silence for what feels like an eternity. Link pretends not to notice Rhett glancing at him every ten seconds, and thankfully Rhett doesn’t try to speak to him. He knows he’s probably being ridiculous--Rhett is his best friend after all. But no matter how he thinks about it, he just can’t help but feel wronged in some way. Like this is some big joke from God and the whole world is in on it. And besides, if this really is an alternate universe, then this isn't the Rhett that he's even friends with anyway. Thinking this way makes him feel a little better about giving Rhett the cold shoulder. 

Eventually, the doctor does return. He tells them that the CT scan came back clear, which Link isn't at all surprised about. He wants to turn to Rhett and say 'see?', but the doctor goes on to explain that this is completely normal with concussions. Link sighs internally. He wants to say that it's not a concussion. He's had one before, and while his memory of that entire snowboarding trip is grainy, he knows for sure that it was nothing like this. 

The doctor mentions a possible fugue state, and that if he's recently experienced some trauma or some stress in his life, then the injury could have spurred on a complete change in personality and a loss of memory of who he was before. It's apparently very rare, but it strikes suddenly and intensely. 

Link doesn't know exactly what he means, but he knows that he isn't feeling any more stressed than usual, and that he'd remember if he'd gone through any 'trauma'.  
When the doctor points out that he wouldn't, in fact, remember, Link has to stop himself from actually _hissing_ at him.

If anything's traumatic, it's what he's going through today, and Link wants to smack the clipboard out of the doctor’s hands as he discusses possible treatment options. He wonders if this is hell. Maybe he _did_ bump his head a little too hard yesterday and he ended up killing himself. Or maybe this is one of those coma dreams. He's seen several articles about people in comas going through entire lives that feel completely real, but that it all dissapears when they wake up and find that they've been out for six months. Yes, that's far more likely than him landing in an alternate universe. He certainly hopes that this is it because he doesn't want to be dead either.

This is probably all just a vivid dream--something his injured brain created to entertain him while he’s laid out in a hospital bed somewhere. 

“Link.” Rhett pulls him from his thoughts by placing a hand on his shoulder, and when Link looks up, he realizes that the doctor is looking at him expectantly, “He’s asking whether or not you feel okay coming home today or whether you wanna stay overnight." 

“Uh...Uh, yeah.” he looks back to the doctor and gives a nod in the hopes that he'll sound convincing, “I think I’m fine. Whatever this is, I’m sure it’s bound to go away soon.”  
He isn't fine, but he's not about to spend his dream in a hospital bed if he's already in one in real life. The doctor's brow raises, and Link tries his best to smile.

“Okay, Mr. Neal. If you’re sure, then I’m going to go ahead and send you home. You’re going to need someone to look after you for a few days, just to make sure you stay safe.”  
Link opens his mouth to speak, but Rhett cuts him off.

“Well we live together, so that’s no problem.” Rhett says, gently squeezing his shoulder,“I’ll keep an eye on him, doc.”  
Link is sure he visibly twitches at this, but he tries to keep his expression neutral for the sake of his case. 

He knows he really shouldn't be so freaked out, but he can't help but feel uneasy at the prospect of spending any more time with his dream 'fiance' than he already has.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the end to the second chapter!  
> You may notice that this chapter is more in detail than the first. I think it’s because I feel a little more comfortable with this concept and I let myself loose a little more as far as writing internal monologue. I hope I can continue on getting more and more comfortable with things as time goes on.
> 
> If you liked this and you want me to go on, please leave me a kudo or a comment telling me what you think!
> 
> Have a wonderful day!


	3. The Subconscious Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Link discovers his phone and what he finds on it makes him question what his subconscious is thinking about

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, I'm back! I was seriously questioning whether or not to go on, but I managed to push through with the encouragement of those close to me (you know who you are)
> 
> I have a beta now as well! A big thank you to rhinkipoo for helping me polish this up!

Link is back in the bedroom - _his bedroom?_ \- as soon as they return home. Not because he particularly wants to be, but because it’s the only room with a lock on it where he can sit comfortably and think things through. He makes the bed, partially because of his natural instinct to make sure things are neat and clean, and partially because he doesn’t even want to touch the sheets where he and Rhett were lying basically naked just a few hours earlier.

He’s in a coma. Or dead. This much he knows. Of course there’s a chance he’s actually in an alternate universe, but the more he thinks about it, the crazier it sounds, so he’s chucking that idea out. He’s definitely been spending too much time with Rhett, and his obsession with the ‘multiverse theory’ has no doubt affected his subconscious.

He tries to revisit the fall from the day before and the time surrounding it, but it’s a little blurry. Damn head injury. He knows that he and Rhett were walking out of the building. He knows that he hit the ground _hard_ , but he also knows that he sat up after and started cursing. He can’t remember the specific details, but he’s sure it was colorful and a far cry from his usual language.

He remembers Rhett helping him up, and that he expected Rhett to be laughing, but instead he looked really worried. Link didn’t really think there was any reason to be, but he’d appreciated the concern. Still, looking at where he is now, maybe Rhett had every reason to be worried. Maybe he should have let Rhett drive him to the hospital like he’d suggested.

He had been dizzy, but he was well enough to walk to the car with Rhett’s help. Rhett was reluctant, but dropped him off back at his house. He specifically remembers going to his _own_ house, and Rhett driving off.

But, honestly, that’s right where his memory cuts off. Before, he thought he’d remembered going to bed, but now that he thinks about it, he was really just assuming he did. Because how else do you end up in your bed? But in reality, there’s really nothing, and no matter how much he wracks his brain, he can’t recall anything past shutting his door and hanging his jacket up.

Is that where it happened? Had he passed out as soon as he got inside? Had Rhett come to pick him up in the morning only to find him lying on his floor? What if he’s still there now?

He really begins to worry. What if it’s still the middle of the night and he’s lying on the floor bleeding out? What if Rhett doesn’t find him in time? What if it’s too late and he’s already dead?

Link can feel himself starting to hyperventilate and he has to consciously make an effort to calm himself down.

_Okay, breathe, Neal. Negative thinking isn’t going to get you anywhere. Just breathe. In and out, just like you learned at your new pilates class._

He stops for a moment. He already paid for 3 months of classes. What is he supposed to do now?

No, that’s not important. Surviving is important. As long as he lives through this, he can figure out the rest later. All he needs to do is make it through whatever hell he’s landed himself in now.

He’s in a foreign land. Granted, it’s technically only in his mind, but even he knows that his mind is an unpredictable place. The fact that he didn’t give Rhett six extra inches and a third eye is honestly impressive.

Still, his mind _did_ make Rhett his fiancé, so it can’t really be trusted.

Just thinking about it makes him nauseous all over again. Why on earth would his mind do this to itself? It doesn’t make any sense.

He’s never thought about anything like this before. He’s never been into guys, and he’s certainly never been into Rhett. Sure, they’ve been friends for a while, and sure he was curious a few times in their adolescence, but that’s just normal stuff that every kid thinks and he’s never considered it since then. Maybe it’s because he’s been single for so long, and because Rhett is the person he’s close to that his mind just decided to fill in the blanks?

Kind of like when you’re having a dream and your brain just fills in the faces with people it can remember. He remembers a few times ordering coffee from an college professor gone Starbucks employee, or finding his mother being the warden in a prison he’s stuck in. Hell, he’s even looked up from a make out session to find himself looking into Rhett’s face. It’s just the brain's way of closing the gaps and it’s not really supposed to make sense. That being said, he’s not happy about it.

At some point, he spots his phone sitting on the nightstand. He reaches for it, and when he presses the home button, the screen lights up with an image of the ocean that he’s had as his background for the last few months.

He smiles a little, strangely nostalgic as he recalls the day he’d taken the photo. He’d been at the beach with Rhett, paddle boarding and enjoying the summer sun. It was their first day off in a long time, and they drank up as much of the day as they could before the sun began to set. It was still warm, so they took a seat in the sand and just stared out at the ocean for a while watching the sun dip below the horizon.

He’d lived there for years, seeing the same ocean so many times, but each time it managed to relax him more than he thought it could. He remembers this time in particular, because he had been extremely stressed the entire month before hand due to the impending deadlines at work and the ever fickle nature of YouTube as a whole. All the built up tension inside escaped with the receding tide, and the salty air blew his hair back and winded around him, filling the empty space with a sense of tranquility.

He wonders if the ocean in his mind feels the same, and if he’ll ever get to see it in real life again. He has to stop himself from thinking about it too much longer, because he’s bound to start tearing up. He really doesn’t want to die.

He unlocks his phone and decides to peruse through some of his text messages, just to see how in depth his mind has made this fantasy. Not fantasy. That’s not the right word. _Dream_?

He’s actually surprised at the accuracy of it all. Texts to staff and friends are almost exactly the same. He would have expected his mind to take at least _some_ creative liberties, and he’s a little disappointed that he doesn’t have anything fun to look at. He avoids Rhett’s texts for a long time, scrolling through as many things as he can find. He checks his calendar, his notes and even old emails before eventually the only thing he’s left with is either instagram or Rhett’s texts. Something tells him that social media isn’t going to be much better, so he reluctantly decides he’d better bite the bullet and check what the damage is. His finger lingers over Rhett’s name for what feels like ages, shaking with a mix of his usual anxiety and the fear of what he might see. Because this is Rhett, and they’re friends. They’ve never been anything more and Link doesn’t even want to entertain the idea for a second because that’s not what friends do.

He tells himself that this is all just a dream. It’s not real, and therefore anything here has no bearing because it’s just wacky dream-logic and it in no way reflects his actual thoughts. This version of Rhett is talking to a different version of Link, and as long as he remembers that, he should be fine.

Still, he can’t fight off the uneasiness as he clicks into their messages. The last texts they sent to each other seem to have taken place yesterday. It’s a conversation he remembers, actually. Rhett had texted him sometime in the afternoon.

_Are you in Stevie’s office?_

 

 _Yeah, we’re going over the script for tomorrow’s filming._ _is it lunchtime already?_

 

_I was gonna run to Carls Jr. You want anything?_

 

_I’m really craving a burger._

 

 _Do you want a drink from there or_ _do you want me to stop and get some coffee?_

 

_Coffee would be great. I’m crashing._

 

_Kay. Be back soon._

 

 

Okay, so...nothing out of the ordinary so far. This looks like a lot of the conversations that have in real life.

As Link scrolls, he sees a lot of texts like that. Just asking each other mundane questions like: ‘What do you want for dinner?’ or ‘do you want me to pick up anything while I’m at the store?’. He’s relieved that his mind hasn’t strayed too far from reality, or made him and Rhett complete cheeseballs, but he supposes that if they’ve really been together this long, they don’t really need to send overly-romantic things through text.

Every once in a while he sees an ‘I love you’ or ‘be safe’ with a heart emoji, but it’s relatively normal until he reaches about two weeks back.

 

_Morning_

 

_Good morning, sunshine._

_You’re up later than usual._

 

_Yeah, well I can’t say I got much sleep last night_

_(totally your fault by the way)_

 

Link pauses. _Is this…?_

 

_I have no idea what you’re talking about._

 

 

_I have some bruises that say otherwise._

 

 

Link throws his phone across the room. He really doesn’t mean to, but it’s his body’s initial reaction. _Abort Mission._

His eyes are bulging and his heart is going a hundred miles per hour.

This is exactly what he thinks it is. They’re talking about sex, aren’t they? They're talking about sex and Rhett's done  _something_ to him to give him bruises.

Link isn’t sure. Maybe they were rough-housing or something, or maybe mountain biking. Oh! Both he and Rhett like mountain biking so that could totally be it. But then he remembers they’re engaged. It’s definitely sex.

Link argues back and forth with himself, and for a moment he’s afraid to move from his spot. It’s crazy, it’s not like the phone is going to attack him. He can just exit out of the window and pretend like he never saw anything. Yeah, that’s what he should do.

Contrary to what he wants to do, Link manages to peel himself out of bed and he goes to pick up his phone from the floor. Amazingly, despite hitting the wall hard, it’s still intact. Dream Physics.

With trembling hands, he raises the phone again and finds that it’s still on the text window.

 

_Damn, do you really have bruises?_

 

 

_Yeah, but only where I hit my knee on the headboard_

 

 

He hit his knee on the WHAT?

 

_Damn you really had me feeling bad for a minute._

 

_You should feel bad. You’re not here._

 

_Babe, you know we have a meeting with those producers today._

_Since you refused to come, I had to._ _And I had to drag Stevie along with me._

 

_Have they said anything yet?_

 

 

_No, we’re waiting on everyone to get here._

 

 

_Still??? How long have you been there?_

 

_About an hour and a half._

_They have great donuts, though._

 

 

_Rhett, why don’t you just come home?_

 

 

_You know I can’t._

_Sometimes I think you forget we’re trying to run a business here._

 

 

_It’s not like we’re going to get the deal anyway._

_You’re wasting your time trying to kiss their ass._

 

_You don’t know that._

 

 

 _I do know that. I know how these companies think._ _The minute we decided to announce our engagement on the show,_

 _it was like putting a big sign on us that said_ _“We’re gay and so is your company if you sponsor us”_

 

_Link, this could be different. These guys aren’t like the last ones._

_This could be big._

 

_Yeah, a big disappointment._

 

_Charles._

 

 

Seeing his first name laid out before him feels strange, but coming from Rhett it feels even stranger. It’s something for legal documents, or his mother to use, and seeing Rhett use it feels...oddly intimate?

 

 

 _I hate that we’re getting into this when you know I can’t call you, but I’m gonna to tell you the same thing I told you last week, so listen up._ _I know this is hard._ _I know that we’ve been rejected more times than we’ve been accepted, but this is different._ _These sponsors are huge, and if I can convince them to support us, then we’re not going to have to keep begging for scraps from smaller companies. We can finally be comfortable._

 

 _I just don’t understand why it’s so hard. We’ve been on youtube for how long? We have more than enough of a fanbase to provide traffic for these companies and yet every single one rejects us._ _Why? Just because we’re gay and not sorry about it? It’s not fair._

 

_I know it’s not._

 

_I just want to be able to love who I want and not have to worry about everyone else trying to get in the way of that._

 

_Link, no one is going to get in the way of that. I promise you._

_We can talk more when I get home, but I’m going to tell you now that I love you. I don’t care if we have to quit making youtube videos all together._ _You’re going to be my husband one day and no one is going to change that._

 

_I’m just tired._

 

_I know. I don’t mind being the strong one for this. I just need to know that you’re working with me and not against me okay?_

 

_Okay._

 

_I love you._

_I’ll call you as soon as the meeting is over, okay?_

 

_Okay. I love you too._

 

 

Link lowers his phone. His heart has calmed but his hands haven’t stopped trembling. He doesn’t know why, but he suddenly feels as if he’s read something he shouldn’t have. Like this is something private between two lovers and he’s intruding. Except, the two lovers are supposed to be _him_ and Rhett.

He remembers this sponsorship meeting. He remembers both him and Rhett attending it together and it being absolutely fine. He doesn’t even really remember being particularly nervous about it, so he’s not sure where exactly his mind conjured up these texts from.

This is his mind’s rendition of the events, but then why does it feel so real? These are issues he’s never even thought about before. It’s 2016, do companies really discriminate based on sexuality? He’s never even considered the possibility of being rejected based on one subtle difference, so then why is this so detailed and...painful? It genuinely hurt him to read, like he could _feel_ his other self’s frustration and disappointment.

He’s about to put the phone back down. He never should have kept reading anyway and he’s had more than enough for one day, but then it buzzes and he nearly jumps out of his skin. He glances down, and finds that he’s been taken to the bottom of the text window by a new message.

 _Hey, I’m sure you’re probably asleep, but I wanted to let you know that I’m here for you. I’m not upset that you don’t remember us._ _I just hope that you DO remember that I’m your best friend. Whatever you’re going through, we’re going to get through it together, bo._ _I love you, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to help you feel comfortable and normal, whatever that may be. Please believe that._

Link reads the text, and he’s not sure if it’s the messages from before now weighing heavy on his mind, but he feels bad. _Really bad_

This is Rhett, and even if it’s not the version he knows personally, there’s still seems to be a decent portion of the real Rhett in him. He cares about Link, clearly, and this message is something very close to what the his Rhett would send. It makes him wonder just how alike the two really are.

_When you wake up, I’ll make you some lunch._

This Rhett cooks for him? The thought is strange and somewhat frightening, but also a little touching.

Link feels like he should at least give him a chance. Not romantically. Never romantically, but just maybe...having a conversation? Lunch does sound kind of nice...

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was a bit longer! Hopefully I can strive to make the other chapters this long in the future as well.  
> If you like this and wanna let me know, kudos and comments are always lovely!  
> Thank you so much for reading and have a great day!


	4. The Periodic Table

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link has some comfort food and tries to strike up a conversation with Rhett.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's the new update! Finally managed to churn this one out. Once again, a huge thank you to rhinkipoo for making this readable.

Link walks slowly down the hallway, taking in every detail along the way. He’s got to admit that there’s something familiar about this place--something that reminds him of his own home. He isn’t sure whether it’s the general layout or the cream color of the walls.

There are three pictures of the ocean hanging about a half a foot from each other on the wall to his left. The first is a view of the Pacific with a large moon hanging over it, reflecting beautifully across calm waters. The next has a sunrise peeking over the horizon, painting the sky in pinks and oranges while the water ripples softly below. The third, and final, is the ocean on a bright and sunny day, waves rolling in while the sky above is cloudless and blue.

Link thinks it’s funny, having pictures of the ocean in your home when you live right by it, but there’s something magical about it. Something he can’t put a word to that makes you feel like you can’t get enough. He stares at the pictures for a long time, feeling a strange sense of nostalgia wash over him. _Have I seen these before?_

Eventually, he forces himself to move on from the paintings, and comes to an open door on the right. A bathroom.

It’s stylish, decently sized, and a bit bigger than the one he has (had?) at his house. The walls are tan and the flooring is a nice wood-textured ceramic tile. Through the sliding glass, Link can see that the shower in the right corner of the room has the same tiling. _Nice_.

There are two sinks. Link traces his fingers over the marble of them as he eyes the area. There are various products surrounding the two sinks, and within a few seconds, Link can tell which is supposed to be his.

It’s strange, he thinks, how every product he can remember having sits there - organized in the same way: from tallest to shortest. On Rhett’s side, there are brands he’s never even heard of. Perhaps he’s seen them in passing? He smells a few of them out of curiosity, and then comes upon two white mugs sitting side-by-side between the two sinks. It’s obvious that the cups are supposed to be a His & Her set, but both say ‘His’, and in them are toothbrushes. He picks up the mug with _his_ toothbrush in it, running his fingers over the black cursive lettering. It’s a silly secret he’s never actually told anyone, but this is something he’s always wanted. Something small and cute he could share with a partner, whenever he found one. He’s smiling softly to himself until he remembers that his brain made Rhett his partner.

He carefully places the cup back down in its place and catches sight of himself in the large mirror. Stopping to take in the view, Link examines himself. It’s still weird seeing himself with short hair. His trademarked wings have been abandoned for close cut sides and the bangs he used to hide behind are now swept back and to the side.

Rhett had been there--sitting next to him as a pillar of support in his usual manner, cracking jokes and teasing him. In all honesty, Link doesn’t think he’d have been able to go through with it if it wasn’t for Rhett. He’d been wanting a change for years, but hair had become a security blanket of sorts without realizing it. He felt safe with it there, covering his forehead and ears. He hasn’t seen this much of his face in years, and without his hair, he’s been forced to re-examine whether or not he actually likes it.

Encouraging him, Rhett told him it’d all be fine and with a big grin he also suggested that they could make a wig from his old hair if he didn't like it. But, Link does like it. He really does, but it’s something that still needs getting used to.

He moves on to inspect the rest of his face, taking in the stubble that had grown in the absence of his usual morning shave. Link wonders, since this is a dream and all, if he can just close his eyes and will all the hair away. He has to try it, what’s there to lose?

Taking a step back from the counter, he centers himself before the mirror and closes his eyes. He pictures himself neatly shaven, and when he thinks he’s got it, he takes a deep breath.

“Shave.” He says, because it feels right. After a moment, he cracks one eye open.

No dice.

He sighs and opens his eyes again. _Lucid dreaming is not as easy as they make it seem_. Deciding to try again later, he flicks off the light before exiting the room.

 

He ends up in the main area of the house after trying to walk as slowly as possible. To the left, beyond a half-wall, is a living room. He catches a glance at a grey leather sectional couch and glass coffee table. Turning to the right, he finds himself facing the dining room.

There’s a large wooden table with 6 white-cushioned chairs and a bowl of fruit sitting in the middle. Link wonders if it’s real fruit, or if they’re _those_ people who use wax decoys. But when he spots Rhett sitting at the end of the table, he forgets all about it.

Rhett is resting his head in his hands, and for a brief moment, Link wants to turn and run. He’s not sure if he’s ready to face Rhett, but then Rhett raises his head and he realizes he doesn’t have time to escape.

“Oh, hey!” Rhett perks up almost immediately. Link tries hard to contain the swell of anxiety inside of him. _It’s just Rhett_.

“Hey..,” he says awkwardly, walking over and placing his hand on the back of a chair a few seats away from Rhett. Should he sit? Should he stay standing?

“That was a quick nap.” Rhett says, watching Link pull out the chair and take a seat.

“Yeah, I, uh, I couldn’t really sleep.” He admits. He didn’t exactly try, but that doesn’t matter. Rhett frowns out of concern.

“Does your head hurt still?” He asks, worry painting his features. Link shakes his head and instinctively reaches up to brush his bangs aside.

“No, uh--the pain meds cleared it right up!” He tries to smile for effect, but Rhett looks unconvinced. He can feel the awkward flush creeping up the back of his neck and he continues, “I am a little hungry, though?”

He’s telling a little white lie, but it has the desired effect.

“Oh, are you ready for lunch, then?” Rhett asks, straightening up a little. Link nods in reply. “Hang tight, I’ll go whip somethin’ up.”

 

 

There’s something really comforting about mac n’ cheese. Link’s not sure what it is, but it always makes him feel warm inside. Maybe it makes him nostalgic, or maybe it’s just the carbs. Either way, Link is starting to feel a lot better. It tastes great. He doesn’t know if it’s his mind made it taste this way, or if it’s because Rhett made it from scratch, but he’s gotta admit that there’s something magical about it.

Rhett, for once, eats very slowly. He picks at his food, stealing glances at Link from across the table. Just like at the ER, Link feels irritation welling up inside of him, but he tells himself that he’s not being fair. Rhett is worried about him, so he decides starting a conversation might help ease the tension.

“So, we got a show, right?” He begins, lowering his fork. Rhett startles a little and looks over at him.

“Uh, yeah...yeah, we have GMM.” Link can see his eyes starting to bulge--see him starting to wonder just how much he’s forgotten.

“When did we start doing it?”

“Eh, I dunno….two thousand….twelve, I think?” Rhett responds. As far as Link remembers, he’s correct.

“What do we do on it?” He asks. Rhett huffs out a small laugh and then combs a hand through his hair.

“I really don’t know at this point.” He says, “Whatever crazy idea the crew lets us come up with.” _Good, so it’s the same_. “I think the last thing we filmed this week was about things you can do with duct tape?”

A smile graces Link’s lips when he thinks about it. The chocolate pool…

“You thought it was _so_ funny.” Rhett says, “I hope you know those pants are ruined.”

“Oh, I didn’t think it was funny--I _know_ it was funny.” He grins, “And how are you gonna complain? How many times have you pranked me in our lifetime?”

A devilish grin rises to Rhett’s face, “All i’m saying is that if you wanna bring pranks to the show, you’re going to regret it.” He takes another bite of his food and Link snorts.

“Like I’m afraid of you.” He says, well aware that that this is what he’s said before every bad thing Rhett’s ever done to him. He’s already formulating his retaliation for when Rhett inevitably gets him back. Because, of _course,_ Rhett is going to get him back.

He forgets momentarily that this is an alternate version of Rhett, allowing the awkwardness to slip away from him. It’s not until he catches sight of Rhett’s ring that he’s reminded of the situation. His laughter bubbles away, and he finds himself staring at the band thoughtfully.

“So, we’re gonna get married, huh?”

Rhett understandably tenses right up. He nearly chokes on his food while Link watches him scramble for his water.

It’s not like he really wants to talk about it himself, but after reading their texts from earlier, he can’t help but be curious. This is Rhett, his best friend. At what point did they decide that dating was the best thing to do?

“...We were planning on it, yeah.” Rhett says cautiously.

“Why?”

Rhett just stares at him.

“I mean, why are we...When did we decide we were...ya know....” Being his inarticulate self, Link gestures vaguely between the two of them.

Putting down his glass slowly, Rhett takes a deep breath. Link just wants to know when their histories differentiate.

“We officially got together in 2011. That’s kinda why we moved to LA.”

Link’s brows raise. He recalls 2011 perfectly. Their 6 day road trip--being ecstatic when they finally learned they’d been approved for a show.

“Wait, wasn’t it for Commercial Kings?”

“Well, that too. That was kind of our way out.”

_Way out._

In a way, Link knows what he means. The feeling of wanting to get away from their town--away from their jobs, and the prying eyes of their peers and family. They only wanted to live their own lives and experience what else was out there. Link had been scared of leaving. He recalls almost crying on the first night of the trip, but there was also this feeling of immense relief that washed over him as soon as they passed the Virginia state line.

“But if you’re asking when we realized we _liked_ each other, then that was sometime in college.”

Link raises his head. “College?”

Rhett had been girl crazy during their youth. Link hadn’t really been that way himself, but being around Rhett and his constant barrage of girl-talk, he soon found himself adjusting to become the same. He can’t imagine any point during that time where Rhett would turn away from women to be with him.

Sure, they’d been pretty close. There were more than a few times that certain words would be thrown around at them, but never had Link actually stopped to wonder if either of them swung that way.

“We didn’t get together until later?” He asks, anxiously rubbing at the skin behind his ears. Rhett nods, and Link can see his eyes grow distant.

“We were idiots. Scared idiots.” He says with a light smile. His expression is a mix of amusement and sadness and it gives Link goosebumps. It almost feels real, like if he tried hard enough, he might actually be able to remember what Rhett’s referring to. He doesn’t want to, because he knows it isn’t real. Whatever this Rhett remembers, it’s not reality. There was no point in which Link felt like he had repressed feelings for Rhett. For their careers maybe, but _definitely_ not for Rhett.

“Well, no offence, but clearly I’ve got bad taste.” Link forces himself to make a joke in attempts to lighten the mood. Rhett blinks at him a few times before he breaks out into a grin.

“I’ll have you know I’m a great catch.” Rhett says, “You couldn’t get anyone better if you tried.”

Link snorts and takes another bite of his food. “Whatever you say, man.”

 

After lunch, Rhett informs him that he’s got to make a few calls, so Link migrates to the living room.

It’s spacious, with hardwood floors and a plush white area rug that Link really likes the feel of. He plops down onto the couch and smiles as he looks up at the 70-inch TV hanging over the fireplace. He knows it must have been Rhett’s choice, because he would have happily settled for a 55-inch.

The left side of the room is all windows, with a sliding glass door that seems to lead out into the backyard. It looks like it’s going to rain, so he resists the urge to go out and investigate and chooses instead to channel surf.

He’s settled on some reruns of _The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air_ when Rhett enters the room.

“I let Stevie know what’s going on. We’ve got enough episodes filmed that I think we’ve got about a week before anyone’s gonna know we’re absent.” When he sees Link’s expression, he goes on, “We can take as much time as we need. Don’t worry about that, okay?”

Link doesn’t know how to tell him that he’s not really worried about the show being on hold as much as he is worried it’ll be discontinued on account of him being in a coma - _which must be what’s happening_. Regardless, he gives a small nod and tries to smile.

Rhett glances at the TV as he walks over to the couch, and he murmurs a small ‘nice’ before plopping down on the opposite end.

“It’s amazing how well this show keeps.” Link says, watching out of the corner of his eye as Rhett stretches his legs out, “No matter how much time passes, it’s still just as good as the first time I saw it.”

“It’s timeless.” Rhett says, and then gives a small sigh as he wedges a throw pillow between his lower back and the couch. Link watches as he does this--takes in his posture, and the small wince he gives as he tries to get comfortable. It’s strange how much detail his brain has put into this, right down to Rhett’s back pain.

Link returns his attention back to the TV and tries to relax, but he finds himself starting to hyperfocus on the small details of the show. He’s seen the show so many times, so it makes sense that he remembers the set and the scenes that happen. Something that strikes him as odd, however, is the periodic table propped up in the chair beside a dancing Will Smith. Thanks to Rhett’s desire for a large TV, he can see the elements almost completely clearly.

_H, Li, Na...K…_

Link doesn’t realize he’s moving off the couch, squinting in attempts to make out some of the harder to read elements. _Nb...Ta...Db?_

He can’t remember even half of the elements off the top of his head, and yet here they all are.

_Sb...Te...At…_

“Link?” Rhett calls to him, sitting up a bit. He inches closer to the TV, taking in as many of the elements as he can before the scene suddenly shifts and his concentration is broken.

He straightens up.

“Link, are you okay?” Rhett asks, eyes wide as he moves to stand. Link realizes that he’s only a few feet away from the television at this point, and he turns around to find Rhett staring at him in bewilderment.

He’s unnerved. He can’t remember all those elements, so how is it that his brain could have a perfect rendition of the table laid out like that? Of course, it could all be made up and he’d have never known the difference, but there’s something about it that seems eerily correct.

“Link, you’re worrying me.”

Link is worrying himself at this point. He’d been so sure that this was all a dream, but seeing that table, combined with the texts from earlier and the small details he’s noticed here and there, he’s starting to doubt his theories. Maybe his previous assumptions about this being an alternate universe were more likely than he’d originally thought? Part of him is relieved. He doesn’t want to be in a coma, and he’d be more than a little happy if he knew his mind wasn’t the one responsible for making Rhett his fiancé.

But now there’s the issue of escape. You can come out of a coma, but how do you come back from an alternate dimension? Link looks at Rhett, who’s come to join him where he stands and looks like he’s about three seconds from dialing 911.

“Can you punch me?” He asks.

Rhett blinks at him a few times.

_“What?”_

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we go! Apologies on the long wait, friends!  
> I appreciate every single one you that takes the time to come back and read this each time despite my hectic posting schedule. You're all awesome.   
> Follow my tumblr for updates and other posts about the story!  
> If you liked this and you wanna let me know, please leave me a kudo and comment below! Have a great day, yall!


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